A New Begining
by Pebblewish
Summary: Destruction. Desolation. Gone. Clan life is nearly wiped out when a meteor strikes the lake. Camps are destroyed, most cats are killed, and there is nobody left to lead the survivors. On top of that, StarClan has seemingly forsaken them. But is this really the end of the clans, or is it a new beginning?
1. Prologue and Allegiances

**This is a more** **dystopian take on the warriors fandom. I adopted this story idea, along with the typed out Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 from Petalsplash. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The warm breeze ruffled Stagstar's light brown fur as he surveyed the gathering island from his perch beside the other leaders. The Clans had been without hostilities for a few moons now, and due to the peace the loud noise of chatter filled the gathering. Looking down, he noticed a certain silver she-cat smiling up at him. He was a young leader, and she was a beautiful she-cat, but he was tired of her chasing after him. There had been a time that he liked her, but she had ignored him and treated him like a nuisance. Ever since he had became leader, she had suddenly taken a liking to him, and was determined to become his mate.

"Funny," a gentle voice meowed, "It seems to me that that she-cat spends every gathering watching you."

Stagstar looked up to see the tall, cream-colored SkyClan leader settling down beside him. "Lilacstar," he greeted, before responding, "I can't help but agree. Honestly, I don't even think Silversong likes me, she just wants to be known as the leader's mate."

Lilacstar's whiskers twitched in amusement. "If that's the case, and she's honestly just attempting to use you, ignore her. Not only that, I'd recommend casting her off to ShadowClan. I'm sure Ratstar would get along nicely with her, being that he tries to use cats as well."

Stagstar was about to nod in agreement, when Brightstar, the leader of WindClan, cleared her throat pointedly from another branch. "If you two are finished, I suggest we begin the gathering," she snapped, glaring in their direction.

"Yes, of course." Stagstar replied tactfully, although he was irritated with her blatant rudeness.

Brightstar smirked, obviously pleased by his easy submission. With an air of confidence, she turned to address the crowd. "As many of you often remark, WindClan looks scrawny, but I assure you that we are still strong!"

* * *

The rest of the gathering went smoothly. Prey was plentiful in all of the Clans, or at least according to their leaders. Other than the announcement that Rainfire, a queen in RiverClan was expecting kits, and Copperblaze, a ShadowClan tom had just became a warrior, not much else was said. Finally, it was Stagstar's turn. Thoughts whirled through his head as he attempted to think of what to say. Before he was finished deciding, he announced, "Just like the other leaders said, prey is plentiful. Also-"

Voices began to rise above his, and one cat called, "What's that?"

Following the gazes of the other cats, Stagstar glanced upward, noticing a brilliant light in the sky that quickly became brighter and brighter.

"It's a sign from StarClan!" Silversong's voice was heard exclaiming, "It must mean good fortune is coming for the Clans!"

Stagstar continued to stare up at the light, by the minute getting more and more uncertain of Silversong's words. Then he realized the light wasn't just getting brighter; it was getting closer.

"Everybody run!" he ordered, and leapt off of the branch, Lilacstar following him. As they ran, Stagstar realized that there was no escape from the island. The bridge was flooded with cats, and he didn't know how to swim. The light had almost reached them when he gave up all hope.

"I'll see you in StarClan," he meowed quietly, turning to face Lilacstar, who was standing behind him. The last thing he saw was the sad smile on Lilacstar's face before he felt a sharp pain, and his world turned black.

* * *

 **Allegiances**

 _ **ThunderClan**_

 _ **Leader** Stagstar- light brown tom with green eyes_

 _ **Deputy** Dewdrop- gray she-cat with blue eyes_

 _ **Medicine cat** Littlefern- white she-cat with light brown tabby patches and light green eyes Apprentice, Nettlestep (mottled ginger-and-brown tabby tom with green eyes)_

 _ **Warriors** (toms and she-cat without kits)_

 _Birchleaf- black-and-white she-cat with green eyes_

 _Silversong- long-furred silver she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Blizzardstorm- thick-furred white tom with amber eyes_

 _Honeywind- golden she-cat with green eyes_

 _Snowflower- white she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice, Eaglepaw (mottled brown and white tom)_

 _ **Queens** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_

 _Squirreltail- ginger she-cat with orange eyes (mother of Mousekit, a brown-and-white tom, Maplekit, a ginger-and-white she-kit with green eyes, and Blackkit, a black tom)_

 _ **Elders** (former warriors and queens, now retired)_

 _Oakbranch- white tom with brown tabby patches_

 _ **ShadowClan**_

 _ **Leader** Ratstar- large dark gray tom with yellow eyes_

 _ **Deputy** Graypelt- mottled gray tom with blue-gray eyes_

 _ **Medicine cat** Creeklight- very light golden tabby she-cat with clear blue eyes_

 ** _Warriors_**

 _Leopardspots- unusually spotted golden tabby tom_

 _Ebonyshade- glossy black she-cat with a white patch on her chest and one green eye, one blue eye_

 _Copperblaze- copper-colored tom with darker flecks, a ringed tail, and amber eyes_

 _Firefawn- dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Petalsun- long-furred golden she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Adderstrike- red-orange tom_ _Apprentice, Marshpaw (gray-brown tom with amber eyes)_

 ** _Elders_**

 _Palefur- dull pale brown tom_

 ** _WindClan_**

 _ **Leader** Brightstar- cream tabby she-cat with green eyes_

 _ **Deputy** Acornfoot- light brown tom_

 _ **Medicine cat** Redtalon- dark ginger tom_

 ** _Warriors_**

 _Flamestripe- pale ginger tabby tom with amber eyes_

 _Briarstem- golden she-cat with green eyes_

 _Dewshine- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Gorsewhisker- brown tom Apprentice, Lightpaw (very pale golden she-cat)_

 _Darkshadow- black tom Apprentice, Sunpaw (flame point she-cat with bright blue eyes)_

 ** _Elders_**

 _Dawnsky- dull tortoiseshell she-cat, missing one eye_

 _Elmheart- frail brown tabby tom with amber eyes_

 ** _RiverClan_**

 _ **Leader** Splashstar- brown tabby tom with cream paws and muzzle, and blue eyes_

 _ **Deputy** Shimmerlight- glossy blue-gray she-cat with orange front paws_

 _ **Medicine Cat** Willowleaf- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice, Marigoldpaw (yellow she-cat with amber eyes)_

 ** _Warriors_**

 _Perchclaw- spiky-furred gray tabby tom with tufts on his ears_

 _Snowhawk- large long-furred white tom with a brown tabby tail and brown tabby markings on his ears and forehead, and pale amber eyes_

 _Frostbreeze- white she-cat with a black mark on her forehead, and ice-blue eyes_

 _Whitevine- white she-cat with green eyes Apprentice, Dustpaw (tan tom with amber eyes)_

 _Fisheyes- blue-gray tom_

 _ **Queens**_

 _Rainfire-_ _long-furred dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with dark amber eyes_

 _Appledusk- dark ginger-and-white she-cat with dark green eyes (mother to Olivekit, a brown-and-gray tom, and Leafkit, a ginger she-kit)_

 _ **SkyClan**_

 _ **Leader** Lilacstar- tall cream she-cat with green eyes_

 _ **Deputy** Sandwhisker- tan tom with amber eyes_

 _ **Medicine Cat** Softbelly- light gray she-cat with amber eyes_

 ** _Warriors_**

 _Cypressnight- very dark brown tom_

 _Acornfall- brown tom_

 _Crowwatcher- jet black tom with amber eyes_

 _Dovebreeze- silver she-cat Apprentice, Ripplepaw (light gray tom)_

 _Leaf- dark brown tabby with deep green, almost black eyes_

 ** _Queens_**

 _Chiveflower- brown she-cat with pale green eyes (mother to Cootkit, a black tom, and Runningkit, a black and brown patched tom)_

 _Beeheart- golden she-cat with dark amber eyes_

 _ **Elders**_

 _Weaselwhisker- dark brown tabby tom_

* * *

 **So what did you think of the prologue? I must admit, I enjoyed typing it.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Not Pebblewish: Thanks!**

 **Eagleclaw25: Thank you, and the allegiances come before the meteor strike.**

 **Hazel: I appreciate it!**

 **NaruAburame: Thanks**

 **Disclaimer**

 **I do not own warriors.**

* * *

Destruction. Desolation. Gone. If I had to use three words to describe what my life is right now, those three words would be perfect.

It was in ruins. The ledge where the leader made announcements had crashed down in the middle of camp, and shards of rock lay everywhere.

A ginger-and-brown tabby stood alone in the clearing, surveying in the destruction. He stood on top of a tree that lay in the clearing, his claws digging into the bark. Scanning the area, his eyes finally found the pelt he was looking for. Leaping down, he dashed over, and stared in despair at the sight before him.

"Littlefern?" the tom choked.

A white she-cat with tabby patches lay on the dust beside him, a glazed look over her green eyes. The ginger-and-brown tabby squeezed past the boulder blocking the medicine den, grabbed marigold and cobwebs, and quickly went back to Littlefern. But before he put the marigold on, he paused, and collapsed on the ground.

"It's hopeless, Nettlestep," he said to himself.

"You're probably the last ThunderClan cat left. You might even be the last Clan cat left. You have to stay strong," Nettlestep muttered determinedly.

Grabbing the scruff of Littlefern, he dragged her over to the center of the used-to-be camp, and put her in a sleeping position. Walking back, he grabbed his friend, Blizzardstorm, a thick-furred white tom, and dragged him into the center of the camp to lie next to Littlefern.

The tom returned, and found Birchleaf; his devoted and caring mother; Oaktail, his wise old father, and plenty of other lost innocent lives. When all the bodies were in the center of the camp, Nettlestep did what was probably the last thing he could ever do with his Clan: a vigil.

Padding up to Littlefern, he murmured in her ear.

"You were the best mentor a cat could have. You taught me everything I know about herbs, and died defending your Clan. Thank you for making me the medicine cat I am," he mewed, his voice choking.

After burying his face her fur, he moved on to his former best friend, Blizzardstorm.

"Blizzardstorm, I don't know any cat who could have better a better friend. You were always there for me when I needed you, I wish you were still here now. Thank for all that you have given me."

The medicine cat apprentice moved on, and said his condolences to every cat, some more heartfelt than others. But the moment he finished with the last cat, he immediately ran back over to his old mentor, and wailed his grief to the sky.

"Are you happy, StarClan?! Taking all these lives, all these kits who will never have the chance to be warriors? Like this?! Are you satisfied now?!" Nettlestep yowled to the stars. Inside, he knew his warrior ancestors weren't all to blame, but he had to yell at something, someone.

 _"Birchleaf, I'm scared," Nettlekit squeaked, as the thunder crashed outside._

 _"Don't worry, my son. There are storms in life, but you have to go through the rain to see the rainbow," his mother replied, a loving look in her eyes._

Nettlestep shook himself, a lump forming in his throat at the memory. _How can a rainbow come from this?_

Nettlestep went over to his mother's body, and curled up next to her, and waited for her to give him a comforting lick on the head, like she always did when he was frightened. But she didn't move. She just laid there, her bright green eyes never to open again.

* * *

Nettlestep blinked open his eyes to a large drop of water splatter on his face. Looking up to the sky, he could see an occasional raindrop coming down to earth, as if StarClan was morning the loss of the Clans.

Soon, the drizzle became a storm, and Nettlestep was forced to abandon his mentor and his mother to find shelter. He ran into the nursery, the memory of his mother clouding his mind. Curling up into a ball, the only thoughts in his head were sorrow and death.

Rolling over, his back bumped something soft. Jumping with surprise, Nettlestep turned around, and saw the ginger queen, Squirreltail, lying down, her body protecting something. . .

 _Oh, that's right! I forgot to check the nursery_! He thought with guilt.

Sniffing her, the medicine cat apprentice caught the scent of death clinging to Squirreltail's pelt, just like the rest of his clanmates. Shifting her position, he spotted three black, brown-and-white, and ginger-and-white pelts.

Grabbing the black tom, Blackkit, he inspected the kit, searching for signs of life. But the kit was as limp as fresh-kill. He searched Mousekit, the brown-and-white tom, but only found the same results of a scratched pelt and shut eyes.

Finally, Nettlestep picked up Maplekit, the only she-kit of the litter, and put his head to her chest. At first he thought he imagined it, but after triple-checking, he was sure he could hear a small _thump thump, thump thump_.

Rushing to his den with Maplekit in his jaws, he set her down next to the pool where the patients drink out of. Nettlestep searched his supplies for chamomile, cobwebs, marigold, a juniper berry, and poppy seeds.

 _This kit won't join her mother just yet._

While she was unconscious, he carefully applied marigold to her wounds, and put the cobwebs on to prevent it from coming off. She hissed in her sleep, and it didn't take long for her to wake up.

She looked into Nettlestep's green eyes, and squeaked, "Where am I?"

"Safe," he replied.

"My side hurts," she complained, turning her head to a gash on her flank, now covered with cobwebs.

"And where's mother? And Blizzardstorm? And Blackkit? And Mousekit?" Maplekit persisted.

Nettlestep gulped. _How am I supposed to tell a kit her whole family just died in one night?_

"Shh, just eat these, and the pain will go away," Nettlestep mewed, passing her the chamomile, juniper berry, and two poppy seeds.

Maplekit sniffed it. "It looks yucky," she complained, glancing at the herbs. Going back to his store, the ginger-and-brown tabby grabbed a honeycomb, and put it on the chamomile.

"Try it now," he urged.

Smelling the honey, Maplekit put the chamomile in her jaws, and swallowed it eagerly.

"More?" she asked.

Nettlestep passed her a bit of the honeycomb, and as she licked it, Nettlestep slit the juniper berry open, and slid the poppy seeds in it, to make sure the kit got every herb she needed.

When Maplekit had finished, he dropped the berry at her paws, and ordered, "Eat it."

Maplekit, hoping it would taste like the honey treat, immediately shoved it in her mouth and swallowed it. Nettlestep licked her between the ears.

"Good kit."

The ginger-and-white she-kit looked up at Nettlestep, and asked once again, "Where's my family?"

 _Oh StarClan, please let the poppy seeds take affect soon._

"They are. . . in camp," he replied slowly.

"Can I see them?" Maplekit asked hopefully, lashing her short white-tipped tail.

"They're. . . they are busy right now."

To Nettlestep's relief, the kit was starting to yawn.

"Oh, alright. I hope they're okay. Last time I saw mother and father, they looked really worried," Maplekit's jaw's stretched in an enormous yawn. She lied down with her tail over her nose, her breathing slowing.

Nettlestep put his body around Maplekit's, gazed out in the twilight rain, and sighed.

 _What am I supposed to do now?_

* * *

 **And there you have it, your ThunderClan survivors! I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 2

**NewsieHamWho: Thank you!**

 **Jaydomination: You'll have to wait and see.**

 **Stormshadow3: Thanks! XD**

 **xoxTigerlilyxox: Yes, there was no way, even for StarClan, to heal the leaders bodies after the meteor struck.**

 **M-Oislife: Thanks!**

 **I would especially like to thank Eagleclaw25, NewsieHamWho, Not Pebblewish, The Little Paw, The Striking Storms, and Warriors27, xoxTigerlilyxox for favoriting and/or following this story!**

 **Now onto the chapter!**

* * *

 _"Shimmerlight! No!"_

The desperate call rang throughout RiverClan's camp. A dilute tortoiseshell queen was sobbing beside the body of a she-cat with ginger front paws, her head buried in the obviously dead cat's fur. A white tom with brown tabby markings took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He padded over to the mourning queen, and rested his tail on her shoulder.

"Rainfire, I'm sorry, but Shimmerlight is dead," the tom stressed.

The she-cat shook him off. "First my mate, my mother, my best friend, and now my sister! _All_ of them! Why do they _all_ have to die? _It's not fair!_ " she wailed.

 _At least you have someone to mourn over,_ the tom thought bitterly. _At least you aren't HalfClan, and have the Clan stare at you when you come back from the ShadowClan border patrol, wondering if you finally jumped the border._

"I don't know why this happened, but it isn't safe in RiverClan's camp anymore. We must go," the tom meowed, turning away. Glancing back, he saw Rainfire languishing beside her sister's body, as if she hadn't heard a word he said. _I could give her a little time to mourn. But not too long,_ he concluded, looking up at a tipping tree, slowly creaking.

"Shimmerlight, I couldn't have had a better sister," Rainfire croaked.

"Sorry to break it to you, but these goodbyes need to be curt," the white tom declared, not taking his eyes off the tree.

Rainfire spat at him, but moved on from Shimmerlight's body. Sitting down next to her mate, Perchclaw, she said, "Oh Perchclaw, I couldn't have had a better mate. It's a shame you'll never see our kits."

Padding on, she went to Appledusk, and sobbed. "You were the best friend a cat could have. And your kits and mine would have been great friends."

Pricking his ears, the tom heard the creaking suddenly get louder.

"Rainfire, we _need_ to go. _Now_."

"Honestly, Snowhawk, sometimes I-"

"We don't have time for this!" Grabbing her by the scruff, Snowhawk started dragging Rainfire across the camp toward the exit.

"Snowhawk, stop! I still need to say goodbye to Frostbreeze!" But the white tom ignored the struggling queen, and when they were finally out of camp, he let go of her scruff and gasped.

Immediately, Rainfire got up, and tried to dash back in the camp. With the creaking louder than ever, Snowhawk leaped on Rainfire, and she collapsed under his weight. The tortoiseshell queen struggled, but was no match with the burden in her belly keeping her down.

With a loud _snap_ , the tree decided it couldn't hold on any longer. As it crashed down into the camp, Snowhawk's back was pelted with splinters. Only when the dust died down did Snowhawk get off Rainfire. She didn't say anything, just gaped in shock about how the tree could have made her join her family. Snowawk sighed with relief, but Rainfire again started heading for the camp.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving my clanmates a proper burial," she replied without looking back. Snowhawk leapt in front of her.

"Rainfire, look, I understand you want to respect our fallen clanmates—I do too. But it's too dangerous. The best way to respect them is too keep on living, for their sake."

The fire died in Rainfire's amber eyes, but quickly started up again. "Well what do you propose we do?" she said with a sneer. "Visit your daddy in ShadowClan?"

Snowhawk didn't flinch. "Precisely."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review telling me your opinions on the story so far.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Cobrastar- Lol, thanks!**

 **Jaydomination- I didn't think of that! :D**

 **Now onto the chapter!**

* * *

A copper-colored tom was crouched beside the body of a dark ginger she-cat, wails of grief coming from his throat. A black she-cat sat watching, giving the tom time to mourn. Gracefully leaping down, the she-cat licked the tom over the ears, a comforting purr in her throat.

"She's dead, Ebonyshade. I can't believe she's dead!" he wailed, burying his face in the black she-cat's chest.

Ebonyshade glanced over the tom's shoulder at a spotted golden tabby tom, her mate-to-be, and sighed.

"We all lost cats we love today, Copperblaze," she murmured.

"But why my sister? Why Firefawn? You're lucky you were a kittypet," Copperblaze mewed. "There's no one in the Clan for you to miss."

Again, the dark she-cat glanced at the spotted tom.

"Maybe not as much as you, former apprentice," she conceded. "But ShadowClan has offered me love that I wasn't able to find in my kittypet life."

Looking up with multicolored eyes, Ebonyshade surveyed the destruction. The branch where Ratstar had made announcements was nearly about to fall off, the splinters of wood poking out from the broken branch. The limp bodies of their clanmates were strewn everywhere, along with chucks of soil and rock.

"I don't understand," Copperblaze's voice shook, "what did we do to deserve this?"

Ebonyshade shook her head slowly, her heart heavy with grief. "I don't believe it was anything we did, more something StarClan couldn't control."

Copperblaze seemed to agree with Ebonyshade that there were no more words to describe what they felt, or what they were going through. The two of them sat in silence, still in stunned disbelief after what had happened.

Suddenly, Copperblaze's rust-colored ears perked up, and his slouched form straightened. "I hear something- actually I think it's someone!" He gasped, "It must be our clanmates from the gathering, they're okay!"

Though Ebonyshade desperately hoped for the copper tom's assumption to be true, she had learned to hope for the best, but expect the worst. "Wait a second..." she muttered, stiffening.

Copperblaze, not hearing her, and acting by emotion instead of common sense, rushed toward the sound. The glossy black she-cat watched as the tom who had once been her apprentice skidded to a halt, his amber eyes widening in surprise.

"I thought..." he stuttered, appearing completely lost, "What- what are you doing here?"

Two cats had emerged from the shadowy pines, both long-furred and smelling strongly of fish. One of them, a tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes gasped, "Great StarClan, it happened here as well!"

While the she-cat surveyed the destruction through wide eyes, the second cat stepped forward. His fur was mostly white, though he had brown tabby markings on his ears and tail tip. His pale amber eyes, though concerned, seemed strangely calm for the circumstances. "We came here searching for a place safer than RiverClan's camp, though that doesn't seem to be the case," He began. "But, may I ask, are there other survivors?"

Ebonyshade regarded the RiverClan tom curiously. He seemed not to want to hurt their pride, or to bring up the sorrow they had just experienced. He wasn't blunt about the question; he was careful.

"I'm afraid not," she responded smoothly, her pride not letting anyone see her true emotion. "That is, unless the cats who went to the gathering are still alive."

The tom shot an uneasy glance at his clanmate, whose attention seemed to be focused somewhere that wasn't the present. "They aren't," he began slowly. "We could see the island on our way here. It's destroyed; there is no way anyone there is still alive."

Copperblaze let out a loud sob from where he was standing beside Ebonyshade, "So many innocent cats are dead. None of them deserved this!"

"Snowhawk," the RiverClan she-cat, who apparently had heard some of their conversation, sighed. "This means that your father is dead."

"I'm aware," Snowhawk said, his voice suddenly cold. The message appeared clear to Ebonyshade: he didn't want to discuss it.

"So what do we do now?" The RiverClan tortoiseshell asked, her voice wavering.

Ebonyshade looked at the three other survivors, her odd eyes holding a grim light. "It's obvious, isn't it? We check the other clans for survivors."

* * *

 **There you have it, the third chapter! What did you think, and out of who you've met, who is your favorite character?**


	5. Chapter 4

**Gingersplash12: Thanks!**

 **: I'm glad you like it!**

 **Guest: Cool!**

 **I would like to give a special thanks to Maid of Light, Star707, and Gingersplash12, , and Cobrastar for favoriting/following this story!**

 **Now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

"HELP!" The voice of a she-cat cried, "We're in here! Help us!" However, her cry was met with silence. A flame-point she-cat paced back and forth, her eyes wide and afraid as she surveyed the wreckage before her. The entrance of the apprentice den had collapsed inward, leaving her with little space to move, limited air, and no exit above ground.

"Silence," A quiet voice meowed worriedly from behind the she-cat, and she turned to face her pale golden sister. "It's all too silent."

"What do we do, Lightpaw?" The flame-point she-cat demanded, her bright blue eyes glistening with tears. "I don't want to die, never able to see the stars again. I want to be able to run, to feel the breeze rushing through my fur! Why is this happening?"

The golden she-cat, Lightpaw shook her head slowly, stepping forward to examine the crumbled ground blocking their exit. "I-I don't know, Sunpaw, but standing there and screaming won't help anyone. I think we have to dig."

"No, I can't dig!" Sunpaw exclaimed, clearly too distraught to think clearly, "I'll break my claws! I- I'll just ask for help again. You see, maybe they were all just sleeping, so they couldn't hear me the first time!" She stopped abruptly; breathing so quickly that Lightpaw thought she would hyperventilate.

"Fine, don't help me." Lightpaw sighed, inhaling sharply. Her sister was testing her patience. "However, I'm not just going to stand back and wait to suffocate or starve to death." With that, she unsheathed her claws to begin digging.

"Wait, Lightpaw! Be quiet, I hear something!" Sunpaw exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in hope. Lightpaw hesitated, straining to hear a noise, any sound that proved to her that her clanmates were alive. She did hear something, but it wasn't the usual chatter that spread through the clearing early in the morning. Instead, it was the sound of a tom crying out in despair.

"Is that-" Lightpaw began, turning to face Sunpaw.

"Flamestripe!" Sunpaw interrupted, her eyes shining with joy, "Flamestripe, we're in here!"

Lightpaw took a step back, not able to be as relieved as Sunpaw. Something terrible had happened, that she could tell from Flamestripe's cry.

"Sunpaw, Lightpaw, is that you?" Flamestripe's voice could be heard from the other side of the rubble.

Sunpaw bounced forward, pressing against the rock. "Yes, it's us! We're a bit scratched up, but neither of us have any serious injuries. Is everyone alright out there?"

"I-," Flamestripe's voice faltered, causing Lightpaw's heart to sink. Something was definitely wrong. "I'll explain that to you after I get you out."

Lightpaw could see Sunpaw smile, and shook her head slowly. _Of course, she's oblivious as always.  
_  
Suddenly a small beam of light poked through the dirt wall that had been blocking their exit, followed by a larger gap. Through the hole, Lightpaw could make out a pale ginger face and a pair of worried amber eyes. Soon enough there was a large enough gap to squeeze through and Sunpaw went first, enthusiastic as usual. However, once she stepped into the clearing, Lightpaw heard her sister cry out in shock.

"What?" Lightpaw asked, her voice wavering nervously, "What happened?" However, she heard no reply before she squeezed through the hole and came face to face with a situation that appeared to be straight out of one of her nightmares. She looked over the clearing, strewn with limp forms of her beloved clanmates along with torn up ground, singed grass, and chucks of rocks that hadn't been there before.

Beside her, Lightpaw heard Sunpaw sobbing, but she didn't turn her head, knowing that to see her sister cry would cause her to do the same. Instead she looked up into Flamestripe's troubled amber eyes and choked out, "Did you find Briarstem? Is she alright?"

"I don't know," Flamestripe responded, his voice wavering, "I didn't have much time to look through the bodies before I heard you."

Lightpaw heard her sister's voice, thick with emotion, say something about Briarstem escaping and being okay. Yet her heart sunk even lower in her chest when her eyes locked on a familiar golden pelt. She knew she couldn't hide her despair anymore as she rushed toward the she-cat, burring her muzzle into her fur. She closed her eyes and breathed in her mother's scent, trying to convince herself that she was alive and well, but there was no mistaking the slight smell of death.

Pulling back, she looked over at Sunpaw and Flamestripe, who had hurried over beside her. Flamestripe, grief stricken, murmured, "No, StarClan, no. You've taken enough of my friends. Was it really necessary to take my daughter too?"

Sunpaw leaned into Flamestripe for comfort, while Lightpaw turned back to her mother's limp body, and looked down in her eyes. The eyes were not what she remembered them to be. The last time they had spoken there was a loving light within the green depths of Briarstem's eyes, now they just looked scared. _The last time we spoke…_ If she went back to moments before her world turned upside down maybe she could stay there for a bit, convince herself that those were the reality, not what was currently happening.

 _"I'm worried about Sunpaw," Lightpaw confessed, looking into her mother's golden face, noticing how her fur was groomed to perfection._

 _"Is there something wrong?" Briarstem asked carefully._

 _Lightpaw shook her head, explaining, "It's just that she always acts off of emotions before using her head. I'm worried that that will get her into trouble someday."_

 _"Lightpaw," Briarstem sighed, "Everyone has there own personality, that's what makes them special. Sunpaw has the biggest heart out of any cat I know, which though it gets her into trouble once and awhile, she has her way of making herself a place in someone's heart. You, on the other hand, are my little thinker, and you're always there to help Sunpaw out. I'm not worried about Sunpaw because I know you will always be by her side protecting her."_

Sunpaw nudging her roughly dragged Lightpaw back to the present. "Did you hear what Flamestripe said? We're going to ThunderClan. Though unbearable they've always been willing to lend a helping paw."

Lightpaw nodded her pale golden head slowly, still thinking back on memories as they made their way out of the camp. _There is truth to what my mother had said. I will always protect Sunpaw, no matter the cost._

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 **And that's the 4th chapter! I'm sorry about the wait, I've been busy** **lately. I get out of school in one more week, so I'll be on much more frequently after that.**


	6. Chapter 5

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Leaf had grown used to being alone, mistrusted, and cast off to the side. This, however, took loneliness to a whole new level. Ever since he was found and taken into the Clan as the age of a young warrior, he had never stopped trying to prove himself. And now, he would never get the chance.

 _It's funny,_ he thought to himself grimly as he looked over the devastation in SkyClan's camp through slitted green eyes, _how I was thought of to be the least SkyClan of them all, yet I'm the only one left._

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, trying to calm his overwhelmed mind, at least just for a short period of time. Shaking out his short grey tabby pelt, a million thoughts went through his head, but there was one that stood out the most. _The gathering! Some of my clan mates might still be alive—Lilacstar!_

The graceful young leader had been one of the only cats to accept him and had been welcoming when he had first arrived. She had defended him, only a moon after he arrived, when he was blamed for the death of a young apprentice, and convinced his clanmates that it was an accident when a ShadowClan warrior had attacked him and ended up dead. She was always there when he needed support, and he had begun to see her as more than a friend; he had grown to love her.

There had been so many times he was on the verge of confessing his love, but he never did, knowing that if they became mates the clan would lose their trust for her, simply because they didn't trust him. So he kept silent, something that he had grown good at, though it pained his heart.

Refocusing, Leaf found his paws leading him out of the camp and into an equally ravaged forest. Ignoring the splinters that stabbed into his paws, he pressed on, leaping over trees that had once stood tall and strong, and now stretched across the torn up earth. Each paw step felt heavier than the one before as he began to notice the destruction seemed to only get worse as he neared the lake. _Maybe it doesn't mean anything. I don't know. I just don't want to lose her. No! I won't lose her! She'll be fine, and I'll finally tell her how I feel!_ Determined, he picked up his pace, sprinting through the devastation.

Leaf's breath was coming out in ragged gasps by the time he noticed the tree line thinning up ahead. _I'm so close. I can almost see the lake!_ He broke into a full-on sprint, each step bringing him closer and closer until finally, he could see it. And all of a sudden, he wished he hadn't. Because as soon as he laid eyes on the island, his world came crashing down.

The island, if he could even call it that, had been demolished. The bright light had crushed it and left a crater in its place. The water had lowered astonishingly, due to the fact that it was flowing into the huge dent left in the ground. There was no way anyone had survived.

The strength seemed to drain from Leaf's body as his gaze focused on the crater. His legs crumpled beneath him, and his vision blurred. "She's gone," he whispered, his voice hoarse. He remained there, in a semi-conscious state, overwhelmed by shock, simply repeating those two words. It felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and snapped it in two. Reality swirled past him, and there was no telling how long he had been lying there before a surprised gasp cut through his shocked state.

Through the blur, he could see a tortoiseshell face leaning over him, and could hear the noises of others nearby. Slowly his vision cleared, and his strength seemed to restore itself. He noticed the she-cat leaning over him had large amber eyes, swirling with emotion. Pulling himself to his paws, he faced the cat, noticing the three others standing behind her. His voice cracking, he looked into the she-cat's sad eyes and found himself saying one last time, "She's gone."

Leaf took a step forward, and the dilute tortoiseshell took a step back in response, her eyes narrowed and her lip curled and she looked him over.

Leaf cleared his throat, the attention beginning to bother him. He looked at the three others, and one, a large, mostly white tom, asked, "So, which Clan are you from?"

Leaf parted his jaws to answer, when a cool voice answered for him, "He's SkyClan. His name is Leaf. And he's a murderer." A sleek black she-cat stepped forward, her multicolored eyes hard despite her even tone. "He killed a cat very close to me."

Leaf took a small step back. "I'm not a murderer," he argued. "It was an accident. Your ShadowClan friend attacked me, claiming I was too close to the border. I defended myself, and in the heat of battle, I injured him, badly. Everything went by so quickly, I guess I didn't realize how much blood he was losing. And if it makes you feel better, I never heard the end of it from my clanmates."

"And where are the rest of your clanmates?" The white tom spoke up again, though by looking into his yellow eyes, Leaf knew he already had guessed the answer.

"Dead," Leaf spat, forcing his voice not to crack. "I'm the only SkyClan cat left." His voice sounded distant when he said it like his mind wasn't able to comprehend what was coming out of his mouth.

The black she-cat's whiskers twitched. " _You're_ the only SkyClan cat left?"

Something clicked in Leaf's mind as he glared at the ShadowClan warrior. "Wait, what right do you have to taunt me?" he growled. "Aren't you the _kittypet_?"

The third cat, a copper colored tom, spoke up. "Her name's Ebonyshade, and she earned her place in ShadowClan. She earned the respect of her clanmates."

Ebonyshade nodded to the spotted copper tom, before turning her odd gaze back to Leaf. "There's not many of us left anymore, so I suppose I won't turn you away if you wish to come with us to check the other Clans. But keep in mind that I will be watching you."

 _That's comforting_ , Leaf thought sarcastically. _It'd be nice if cats could just trust me._ Sighing, Leaf decided, "There's nowhere else for me to go, so, yes, I suppose I will tag along."

Leaf dropped to the back of the group as they walked towards ThunderClan's territory, not wanting to have to talk with them. Listening in on their low conversation, he managed to learn the names of the other ShadowClan cat, and the two RiverClan cats. He followed them in silence, the whole time keeping an eye out on their surroundings. Something moved in the destruction to their left, and he hissed, "Stop!"

Surprised that the others did what he said, he stared at the spot where he had seen the movement. There was definitely someone there. "Show yourselves," he demanded. There was a pause, before a ginger and white kit dashed out from behind a fallen log, and a ginger and brown tabby tom, who Leaf recognized as Nettlestep—one of ThunderClan's medicine cats—followed quickly, leaping over the log to grasp the kit in his jaws. The scent of WindClan was obvious as two scrawny apprentices and an older cat, who Leaf thought could be old enough to be an elder, stepped out as well.

"RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan," Nettlestep noted, looking over Leaf's patrol. "I'm assuming you are all the only survivors from your Clans?"

Leaf nodded, and Snowhawk sighed, "I'm afraid so. And if I remember correctly you are, Flamestripe, Sunpaw, and… Lightpaw of WindClan, along with Nettlestep, and whatever this kit's name is from ThunderClan."

The kit giggled, the first time Leaf had heard any semblance of humor since the destruction. _She's too young,_ Leaf reasoned. _She hasn't quite wrapped her head around what's happened._

"I'm Maplekit," the kit declared, "Maplekit of ThunderClan!"

The group of cats was quiet for a few seconds, before Lightpaw broke through the silence, asking the question that was going through everyone's head. "So what's next?"

Leaf found his gaze wander to Flamestripe, as the older tom surveyed the group before announcing, "These are unfamiliar times—dangerous times. And none of us should stand alone. There is no saying what the future holds, but if we survived this, together we can survive anything."

Leaf looked around, expecting someone to argue, but instead saw the same expressions on all their faces. Certainty. Determination. Agreement. They were more than cats from a bunch of different clans. They had one similar task.

To survive.

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	7. Chapter 6

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Nettlestep was beyond relieved when he found out that he and Maplekit were not the last Clan cats left. But that didn't mean that it didn't feel like a twisting claw in his stomach when he realized that he was the last medicine cat alive.

An unfortunate turnabout, really. Despite his name and title, Nettlestep still was an apprentice. Littlefern had deemed him knowledgeable enough to grant him full medicine cat status, but he still had things to learn from her. If Littlefern had survived instead of him, Nettlestep had no doubt they would all have had a better chance of living through this. Come to think of it, any medicine cat would've been more suitable than him. Softbelly, Redtalon, Creeklight, and Willowleaf all had moons of experience on him. But they had all been at the gathering. It was only because of a bought of whitecough in camp that Nettlestep had decided to stay behind. And to think he had been so worried about the whitecough. . .

Regardless of his competence, he _was_ the only medicine cat. It had taken him a moment to realize the gazes of the survivors all rested on him. So he had suggested that he visit the Moonpool—in a voice much more raw and weaker than he'd like to admit—and consult StarClan for answers. When no one protested, they had trudged up the used-to-be stream of the WindClan-ThunderClan border, and Nettlestep told them to wait behind as he made his way down to the Moonpool.

So here he was, alone, studying the pool. Upon first glance, it seemed entirely unaffected by whatever had destroyed the gathering island. It was just as still as serene as ever, reflecting the starry sky and the full moon—which was slightly unnerving, as he was used to the half moon here—in all its glory. But something still wasn't right. Nettlestep pricked his ears, glancing around as his tail tip flicked nervously. After a moment, it hit him.

It was silent.

The familiar trickle of water was absent. No fresh water was flowing into the pool, and it made Nettlestep almost sick to his stomach to this that something so sacred and pure would soon become clogged with debris and dirt. Slowly, numbly, he padded down the rocks and approached the pool. After a brief second of hesitation, he took a single lap of the water and proceeded to curl up on the cold stone floor, failing to find a comfortable position. Giving up, he closed his eyes.

And he was falling.

It was dark and he couldn't see a thing, and his stomach flew up to his throat as the air rushed passed him. Nettlestep flailed his limbs in an attempt to grab onto something, but to no avail. He attempted to shout, but the sound got caught in his throat. This had never happened before, this wasn't _supposed_ to happen-

Nettlestep jumped to his paws, gasping. He looked around wildly, alleviated upon recognizing the StarClan fields and feeling the soft grass beneath his claws. Once his heart stopped feeling like it would leap out of his chest, Nettlestep paused, finally noticing the starry black pelt out of the corner of his eye. He spun around, his own green gaze meeting the amber one of Sleekstar.

For a moment, they said nothing. Because for Nettlestep, there was too much to say. He wanted to shout, he wanted to press his face against Sleekstar's familiar flank and howl, he wanted to rake his claws across Sleekstar's neutral face and scream. Questions and demands were running through his mind, but none of them were satisfactory enough. And Sleekstar just 'stood' there, watching Nettlestep with unreadable eyes. Finally, he managed to croak out one word: "Why?"

Sleekstar looked down at his paws. "StarClan had no control over this. We couldn't have stopped it if we tried. It was out of our power." The StarClan cat's voice was even and rehearsed.

Nettlestep slowly looked up, silently daring Sleekstar to meet his gaze, letting his rage boil beneath the surface upon seeing the black tom's indifference. "Then why didn't you warn us?" It was spoken like a quiet demand, not a question.

Sleekstar accepted his dare. Without missing a beat, he replied, "Littlefern knew."

Sleekstar blurred before him. Nettlestep's anger drained out of him, replaced by sheer shock and denial. "No- she couldn't have- she would've-" he shook his head. "You're lying."

Sleekstar looked at him with something resembling pity. "There was nothing she could have done. She knew the Clans didn't stand a chance."

"We could have evacuated!" Nettlestep shot back. "Do you have any idea how many lives calling off the Gathering would have saved?"

"Forty-three."

Nettlestep froze.

Sleekstar let out a long sigh. "Nettlestep... The Clans are over. Believe me, it's not a decision StarClan made lightly. But it's time for them to end."

Nettlestep stared ahead at nothing, shaking his head. "No..."

Sleekstar exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry." With that, he pushed himself to his paws and began heading towards the underbrush.

"Wait!" Nettlestep called, almost involuntarily. "What am I- What are we supposed to do?" He hated how his voice cracked on the last word.

To his relief, Sleekstar stopped and turned his head to face him. "My advice? Find a nice twoleg nest and cry out until they let you in. It might take a while, but eventually, you'll have a warm nest and plenty of food all to yourself."

Nettlestep blinked, trying to manage his utter disbelief at the former ThunderClan leader's words. Sleekstar continued forward, but right before he disappeared into the bushes, he paused. "If it's any consolation," he began, not bothering to turn and face him, "StarClan's willing to be lenient regarding if you obey the Warrior Code for the remainder of your life, considering," he waved his tail in a broad gesture, "all of this."

At his words, Nettlestep saw red. His eyes were slits as he stared at the black tom, and his claws were extended as his lips curled back into a snarl. "Coward!"

With that, he flung himself at the StarClan cat, sinking his claws into his back. Sleekstar immediately flipped onto his back, crushing the medicine cat under his weight. He quickly jumped back to his feet and pinned Nettlestep under him, with one paw—claws extended—against his throat. Nettlestep gasped, barely able to process what just happened. Sleekstar stared down at him, his amber gaze indecipherable. Nettlestep met the leader's eyes, a challenge in his own.

After a moment's hesitation, Sleekstar stepped back and allowed Nettlestep to stand. Wordlessly, Sleekstar turned and vanished into the underbrushes. Nettlestep had to restrain himself from calling after him, swallowing down the cry that was rising in his throat.

StarClan wouldn't help him anyway.

Nettlestep woke up with a gasp. He was laying on his side next to the Moonpool, his legs splayed out, his front claws extended. He forced himself to his paws, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the low light. He stared down at the water, running the dream over in his head. Suddenly, he kicked his back legs against the ground and showered sand and earth into the sacred pool, not unlike as if he was burying his own dirt. He got a sick satisfaction from watching the debris disturb the surface of the water and blur out the reflection of the stars above.

Nettlestep turned, facing the way out, and halted. _How can I tell the others?_

Just outside the entrance to the pool were nine cats, desperate for good news about their salvation. News that Nettlestep couldn't provide. The medicine cat began pacing.

It wasn't fair. He shouldn't be the bearer of this news. He didn't want to see the hope face from their eyes as these cats with so little left realized that their warrior ancestors abandoned them. And then what? Were they expected to go their own ways and become no better than rogues and kittypets? Nettlestep huffed. _I bet the ShadowClan_ kittypet _and SkyClan rogue would love_ _that._ He thought sarcastically. _They had tried to be Clan cats harder than anyone. No way would they take to the idea of reverting back to their original lifestyles._ Besides, Nettlestep could barely fight; he wouldn't last a moon as a rogue. _As for a_ kittypet _..._ He curled his lip at the thought.

Nettlestep paused. _No. This isn't right._ It wasn't time for the Clans to end. _Not if I have anything to say about it._

Over seasons upon seasons, the Clans needed their belief in StarClan to hold them together. _And the cats waiting out there need something to hold on to, now more than ever._ Slowly, an idea formed in Nettlestep's mind.

The medicine cat raced out of the Moonpool, the thudding of his paws over the hard stone transitioning to a softer patter as he ran through the trees to where the cats agreed to meet. He skidded to a stop in the clearing, panting heavily. His gaze skirted over the survivors as they turned to face him, only for his heart to jump in his throat when he realized there was one particular pelt missing.

"Where's Maplekit?!" he demanded, his tail lashing.

He heard a soft hiss in response and his attention was drawn to the RiverClan queen—Rainsomething?—who glanced pointedly at her flank, shifting to reveal her body was curled around the small ginger-and-white figure. The kit was sound asleep, her face pressed against the queen's soft fur. Nettlestep let out a sigh of relief. Rainsomething cast Maplekit an affectionate look, then turned whatever the opposite of that look was Nettlestep. "Can you plunder through the forest any louder? There's still some mice you haven't scared away," she snapped in an undertone.

Nettlestep bristled, but the white RiverClan tom jumped to his defense with, "Rainfire, shut up." Nettlestep had to hold back a smirk at the affronted look on the queen's face. The white tom stepped towards Nettlestep, his expression carefully neutral, but the medicine cat could see the light behind his yellow eyes. "What did StarClan say?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on him, wide and hopeful. Nettlestep swallowed. "StarClan said we are to follow the brightest star in Silverpelt. It will guide us to our new home."

As soon as he finished, the cats turned to each other, their expressions excited. No one noticed how Nettlestep couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"When do we leave?" Sunpaw exclaimed.

"I think we should head out in the morning," proposed Flamestripe. "For now, we should rest and gather our strength."

No one protested at that. The cats lied down and curled up where they sat, trying to get what little rest they could. Nettlestep considered prying Maplekit off the RiverClan queen so he could watch over her but quickly changed his mind upon seeing Rainsomething's paw holding the kit close to her body like a lifeline.

So Nettlestep slowly lowered himself to the forest floor, more alone than he had ever been in his life, left to contemplate what he'd done.

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